8.30.2013

The proclaimed "celebrity fashion hot spot", Kitson, has recently released this new Brian Lichtenberg collection of designer (drug) t-shirts called the BLTEE collection. The website describes the collection as follows:

"The BLTEE line by Los Angeles designer, Brian Lichtenberg has taken over
the fashion industry by spoofing high fashion desingers logos. Kitson
brings to you the entire line of Homiés here, so pick out a color and a
logo and wear it proud! (credit)

It's Feedback Friday...

What are your thoughts about the Kitson t-shirt collection? Irresponsible or a funny spoof?

8.29.2013

My 14 year old and I trained all summer to participate in the Run For Your Lives "zombie run" earlier this month and it was a blast! Imagine an obstacle course with zombies out to "kill" you throughout and you get the idea.

We spent the week before the race making our team shirts using ordinary printer paper. We printed out some phrases from the movie Zombieland and cut out the letters using an x acto knife then applied Aleene's Tacky Spray to the back of the paper.

We let the spray dry for a few minutes first then pressed it on the
shirts and applied acrylic paint using a sponge brush in a tapping
motion:

(I've washed our t-shirts multiple times and the graphic is staying on, so acrylic paint that we "set" by putting in a hot dryer is a good thing!)

We created a layered design with a "heart beat" graphic by letting the red paint dry, then applied the second layer over top to paint in a contrasting color.

(I guess this "duck face" is supposed to look bad ass...not so much.)

"Double Tap" on the back and a bloody hand print on the front were the finishing touches.

Here we are nice and clean with some other competitors before the race:

I bought fabric to re-cover my "leather" kitchen chairs (yeah, I didn't know the definition of "bonded leather" when I bought them, big mistake). I like a pop of color, so I chose this "Dana Red" cotton from Joann Fabrics:

Finally, I am going to work some window treatment magic with bamboo blinds in my family room, and paint my son's room (he moved out of his brother's room and into his own room...I can't talk about it yet...too upset...whimper...).

8.18.2013

So, you know about parental controls on your kids Apple devices, right? You set some controls and everything should be great...right? Wait, right???

Nope.

I learned the hard way that a simple one word Google search (you know, like the word that rhymes with a yellow veggie that grows on a cob?) can bring loads of terrible websites to your innocent children's fingertips. Safari has no regulation through parental controls, so you might think you are safe, but you are not.

This weekend, I used the parental controls on my boys' devices to disable Safari altogether, then looked around for an alternative web browser for everyone.

My criteria in searching for a web browser was that the button had to look "normal", not like some baby thing, but a normal web browser. It had to be capable of setting different levels of control (since my boys are 10, 12, and 14 they needed different limits). It also had to be able to provide reports about blocked websites they attempted to access so we could have frank discussions if necessary.

I found several free options, but eventually opted to pay for a service with lots of flexibility for each device, and ended up with Mobicip.

I could set levels of elementary, middle, and high school for my 3 boys then go into each page and add or remove individual categories (sex, violence, shopping, videos, technology, etc) with a simple click (if you choose elementary level, you can get a free subscription).

I ended up buying a 1 year subscription for 3 individual devices for under $30 a year, and so far, it's worth it!

Do you have any web browsing advice for kids and devices? How do you keep track of your kids' internet usage on devices?

**I did not receive any compensation from Mobicip, and only found them by searching "web browser with parental controls" yesterday. I searched it in the app store on each phone and downloaded the app for free, then upgraded. Us parents have to stick together, so I thought I'd share**

8.12.2013

During this month's Family Vacation in Long Beach Island, NJ, the adults would sit out on the porch and listen to music on our phones before dinner each night while enjoying an Orange Crush* (our favorite beach beverage).

The kids came out one evening with an empty paper towel tube and a pair of scissors and whipped up this crazy looking set of "speakers" to amplify the music. Believe it or not, it worked!

They said they saw the idea on Instagram and we had some nice tunes for the rest of our vacation.

Want to make some speakers for the next time you are in a pinch?

Just cut an opening the width and depth of your phone into the top of a paper towel tube.

We discovered that only cutting on 2 short sides and 1 long side while folding the remaining long side inward created a tighter fit so that the phone was suspended rather than resting on the bottom of the tube. It created better sound when the speaker on the bottom of the phone wasn't touching the bottom of the tube.

Might as well pour yourself a drink after you make this portable speaker:

Orange Crush Cocktail

Fill a glass with iceSqueeze a half an orange into the glass, then drop the squeezed half into the glassAdd a shot (or two) of Orange StoliTop off with Sprite.Stir.

8.09.2013

Ringtones crack me up, especially if they have some sort of significance. I have a variety of ringtones on my phone and just learned how to make more! Check out this tutorial I pinned: How to Make Ringtones for Iphone. I'm obsessed.

My default ringtone is "Jenny" by Tommy Tutone and has been for as long as ringtones have been available to me. I change my other contacts' rings to something that makes me laugh or reminds me of them, so here is my ringtone run down:

My friend who just moved away: Hi Kevin, from Spongebob. We had a funny joke in Key West about a guy in a band I was stalking. The Big Guy leaned over and said "Hey Kevin, will you come say hello to my wife?" We were hysterical because the guy's name was really Nick...the Big Guy didn't get it.

8.08.2013

Doesn't it look lovely? Lots of ripe berries nearly falling off the bushes, the birds are squawking for us to leave their bounty alone, squirrels dropping random acorns on our heads in an attempt to scare us away...sigh...nature...

Right around the time I took this photo, I noticed I could smell a faint smell that warned me a skunk was nearby. I was taking my son's picture then said "Uh oh, there is a skunk nearby, we need to make a move."

Not 30 seconds later I noticed a nearby thicket shaking and realized our dog was "hunting" again. Just as I called her away from there I heard the sound and smelled the super strong skunk smell. She was hit! She must have gotten the worst of it in the face and, blinded by the oil, she barreled straight into me, taking me out at the back of my knees. I was laid out, like Charlie Brown after kicking a football, with a skunky dog next to me frantically rubbing her face into the ground.

I ran up, and stuck her in her crate while I consulted Facebook for a solution:

Lots of you came to the rescue with instructions to make this concoction! Thank you Patricia, Dot, and Jill!

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About Me

I'm a mom to three boys (ages 8-12), who's life revolves around laundry, football practice, blogging and art. Much of my daily interaction with said boys involves snacking, burping, discussions about "balls" or "peters", farting, or You Tube.
I have a small business and a group of friends (both real and bloggy) who provide me with the necessary estrogen to survive my testosterone-filled days. Got any estrogen to spare? Come on in!

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